The Nigerian Army have been drawn into another controversy of doing purported business with kidnappers in the country and protecting them from being arrested by the Nigeria Police.
While the dust over the incident in Taraba State where Army killed some police officers assigned to arrest a kidnapping kingpin in the state and set the suspect free is still in the atmosphere, another team of soldiers were reported to have obstructed the Police from arresting some kidnappers in Ondo State, south west Nigeria.
The Commanding Officer, Police Mobile Force, No. 17 Squadron, Akure, Ondo State, ACP Sunday A. Peter, in a protest letter to the Commissioner of Police, State Headquarters, Akure, dated August 17, 2019, captioned: “Re-Obstruction of Policemen on a bid to arrest criminals by military led by Brigadier General Z.I. Abubakar,” indicated that the Army obstructed seven police officers from arresting kidnapping suspects along Ore-Ijebu Ode expressway last Saturday. He complained that the 20 soldiers led by Brig. Gen Z.I. Abubakar at about 12.30pm on Saturday allegedly prevented the officers of 17 PMF personnel from arresting kidnappers along the road at the weekend.
According to the PMF Commander, the officers of No. 17 PMF personnel obstructed from performing their duties assigned by the Commissioner of Police include: ASP. Edet Ewang, Inspector Timlor Lambar, Inspector Joseph Gankon, Sergeant Ambrose Zamdayo and Sergeant Adeola Kayode.
The PMF Commander declared: “I forward herewith copies of statements of policemen who were obstructed in a bid to arrest criminals by military personnel numbering 20 led by Brig. Gen Z.I. Abubakar.
“The above incident occurred on the 17th August, 2019 at about 1230hrs while the 17 PMF men were on duty at the point assigned them by the CP Ondo State Police Command following the incidents of kidnapping along Ore-Ijebu Ode expressway.”
The PMF Commander, thereafter, appealed for the intervention of the CP for necessary action.